The Hughes Brothers'
directorial debut, Menace II Society is a terrifying reality
check. Eschewing any sense of hope, unlike its predecessor Boyz n
the Hood, the Hughes's vision of post LA Riots Watts is an absolute living,
breathing nightmare. What is perhaps the darkest entry in the black
cinema movement of the 90's, Menace is an urban horror story about the
realities of a community that is slowly, inevitably killing itself, one young
person at a time. Featuring a memorable ensemble of rap artists and
actors, a unique cinematographic approach, and an unforgettable soundtrack,
this is a film that not only defined a decade, but it also defined a generation,
for better or worse.
The film follows Caine, a drug dealer and gangbanger, over the course of a blood-soaked
summer in the ghetto. Tyrin Turner stars as Caine, and he is supported by
Larenz Tate as the murderous O-Dog. Described in a voiceover by Caine
(comparisons to Goodfellas are impossible to deny) O-Dog is described as
America's nightmare, and Tate's legendary performance is a harrowing
representation. It's not surprising that gangster rapper Spice 1's next
album would be named Amerikkka's Nightmare, as he was originally slated to star
in the film as Caine. While Tate steals every scene with his casual,
almost nonchalant barbarism, Turner's soft juxtaposition only enhances the
uncomfortable truths that are repeatedly displayed to the viewer, usually in all
their violent glories. Caine is no saint and actively works against his
betterment, a flesh and blood representation of the creed of the gang ruled
wastelands of urban America: no one seeks to escape because they feel they will
be treated the same no matter where they go in the post Jim Crow America, an
America, given the events of the last four years, that is very much alive and
well in 2021.
Menace is a film with many themes. As black directors began to challenge the Hollywood system in the late 80's/early 90's, each film tackled a different aspect of the black experience in America, in an attempt to expose white audiences to the struggles and horrors that minorities endure every day in the land of the free. The Hughes' Brothers opted to not only expose, but to suffocate the viewer with grim examples of an endless cycle of violence. The world within post Rodney King Los Angeles is a place of desolation and an ignorant embrace of loyalty to a city that is literally trying to kill you with all its might.
This is masterfully captured by Lisa Rinzler's heart stopping cinematography. Much of the violence is captured either off screen or in such a manner that the eye is drawn to the peripherals, so that every witness, onlooker, and bystander is brought into the fold, reflecting on how gang lifestyle, made popular by legendary rap artists, had become a fishbowl for middle class Americans, something to be observed, but never touched. Her visual representation of Caine and O-Dog’s cocaine playground is the antithesis of expectations. It would have been simpler to present Watts as a used up and burned-out place of despair. Instead, Rinzler shows the viewer a living hell, where demons loom on every street corner and at every house party, waiting to ply their vicious trades of death. Watts isn’t dying, it’s thriving on the blood of young black men.
Music is the central,
and most important aspect of the film. Beginning with Ice Cube's iconic Ghetto
Bird, the song choice catapults the audience directly into harm's
way. No longer are you at arm's length, you are living in the middle of a
warzone. It's this unapologetic tactic that instantly declares "This
is not happy story. There is no hope, and no one gets out alive",
another bold statement considering the critical reception of Boyz of Hood.
But this precisely the reason. Audiences vastly prefer fantasy and happy
endings. Feel good movies allow us to escape from the bleakness of
reality. The Hughes's dissent is that for many, escape will never be an
option so rather than placate, they sought to provoke, and Menace is the
ultimate provocation.
Now available in a gorgeous 4K UHD release from The Criterion Collection, Menace
II Society is one of the most important American films ever made. A
relentless Grimm style modern fable about the perils and misunderstood truths
of a generation in genocidal distress, this is also a wakeup call to the
privileged who emulated the gangster lifestyle in their clothes and music
tastes, a call that still goes unanswered today.
--Kyle Jonathan